Queensland police warn of torment by teenagers at Victoria Point

POLICE have warned of teenagers harassing and intimidating shoppers and commuters at Victoria Point.

In light of the caution, Redlands MP Matt McEachan and Victoria Point councillor Lance Hewlett have reiterated calls for a police station or police beat in the suburb.

Police said youths were congregating in groups of at least 10 outside fast food outlets and near the bus station.

Mr McEachan said residents had told him of youth intimidating people in car parks near food outlets.

The warning comes after two 16-year-old boys were charged with punching and kicking a bottle shop worker during a robbery at Victoria Point about two weeks ago.

The boys were arrested the day after the robbery and were due to appear in Cleveland Children’s Court.

​In June, fences and signs near the intersection of Cleveland-Redland Bay and Boundary roads were defaced with what Cr Hewlett said was some of the worst graffiti seen in the Redlands.

He said there had been a push to increase police on the bay islands, while Victoria Point was the only major centre in the Redlands without a police station or beat.

He referred to a coroner’s recent recommendation to boost the two-person Russell Island police station to four permanent officers.

Mr McEachan said the area’s population growth had not been met with a boost in police resources.

In a response to a parliamentary question from Mr McEachan earlier this year, Police Minister Mark Ryan wrote that there were 53 police officers at Cleveland station on February 1, 2015 and two fewer on January 31 this year.

The numbers at Redland Bay station were the same – with 27 police officers – on both February 1, 2015 and January 31, 2017.

Mr McEachan said he was concerned resources were also being taken up by police dealing with the occupants of a rehabilitation facility at Thornlands.

“I am worried police are spending so much time and resources dealing with the facility that they are not able to patrol and provide a response ,” he said.

Cleveland police station’s officer-in-charge Senior Sergeant Janelle Harm said at a meeting called by Mr McEachan in March that police regularly attended the facility to conduct bail compliance checks on residents on bail from the Supreme and District courts.

Police said any intimidation should be reported via Policelink on 131 444 or 000 in an emergency.